iZombie 1.11: Astroburger

As we get closer to the end of the season all the stand-alone plots are being given more significance, with last week’s case being tied in with the show’s main story arc and this week’s helping to maintain the energy that was established over the last few episodes. ‘Astroburger’ was almost entirely focused on the repercussions of Blaine’s undercover operations and the emotional fallout it’s caused, but the murder of someone close to Major helped to progress that story in an interesting, funny and heartbreaking way.

The victim’s death this week didn’t really amount to much. Scott E (props to whoever names the characters on this show), Major’s kooky zombie informant wasn’t really an important character in his own right. Like every other victim, it’s not the character themselves we care about, but how they affect Liv. Scott’s weird murder at the hands of an even weirder doctor wasn’t part of what made this episode what it was, it was the unusual traits he gave Liv, which made her kleptomania and social paranoia seem pretty normal in comparison.

I feel silly for not seeing that Johnny Frost was an illusion the whole time. Surely it should have been more obvious? I loved what they did with him and how he represented Scott’s memories; that code line was genius. The devil was less funny, but he wasn’t played by Daran Norris so I think that’s an unfair comparison. I still enjoyed the hell out of him though. This show knows how to use its formula in some really interesting ways.

As brilliant a sidekick as Johnny was, and as funny as devil man was, the most significant thing Scott gave Liv was her hallucination of Major, which gave her the courage to finally confess the truth. Finding out that the whole thing was a weird vision was made even sadder when Major told Liv what he learned from Scott as soon as he could.

What’ll happen when he finds out the Liv is one of these creatures he wants to eradicate? I’ve grown to love Major over the past few episodes, and I really want to see him learn the truth. I don’t think he’ll take it very well when he finds out she’s been holding it back from him the entire time.

Plus

I wasn’t sure about Ravi and Peyton being a thing, and the plot was inexplicably dropped for the past few episodes, but they were cute together this week. I can see her being written out at some point soon though.

Ravi has potentially cured zombie-ism. Will it work on Liv? Let’s hope not or else we won’t have a show anymore.

That video of Lake Washington was disturbing. How will it come into play during this season’s final episodes?

Blaine must have found a way to get the astronaut for his rich client. He must have some serious power behind him.

He Said, She Said

Blaine: “Am I still alive? Sometimes I can’t tell.”

‘Astroburger’ was another example of how the writers have been using iZombie’s formula to make each episode of the show seem fresh and different. Even as the series is focusing heavily on its major arc of the moment, it’s not leaving the character development fall apart.

9/10

Also posted at Doux Reviews.

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